Visual Perception of Agricultural Cultivated Landscapes: Key Components as Predictors for Landscape Preferences

Abstract

This study focuses on the visual perception of agricultural cultivated landscapes by examining the role of five specific landscape components as predictors of visual preferences: field size, lot shape, land texture, crop texture and built elements. The Lower Galilee in northern Israel was chosen as the study area. The landscape was viewed by 90 participants using a photographic representation. Overall, the preference ratings indicated a relatively positive judgment of the agricultural cultivated landscapes. More specifically, the findings suggest that visual preferences regarding agricultural cultivated landscapes may be explained to a large extent by land textures, crop textures and lot shapes that are associated with complexity and fertility. Despite these findings, the intensification of agriculture over the last decades in many agricultural areas is still characterised by the removal of boundaries and the reduction of crop types. Increasing knowledge related to the visual perception of these landscapes may encourage the managers of agricultural areas to begin taking into account several crucial factors that influence the aesthetic quality of cultivated lands.